Uganda Biogas Programme registered by Gold Standard

April 25, 2017

On April 20, the Uganda Biogas Programme (UBP) received an official registration under Gold Standard. The registration is an important milestone for the programme that, since its founding in 2014, has constructed more than 6,000 household biodigesters in the country.

Each biodigester reduces emissions of CO2. Through a rigorous certification processes to verify emission reductions and sustainable development outcomes by Gold Standard – an internationally recognized premium quality label – each tonne of CO2 reduced by UBP is now valued with a carbon credit. The carbon credits can be sold to individuals, companies and organisations wanting to compensate for their CO2 emissions.

UBP follows the Kenya and Tanzania biogas programmes, which have already earned carbon credits. All three programmes are part of the Africa Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP), a collaboration between the Dutch government, Hivos and SNV Netherlands Development Organization. ABPP develops a commercially viable biogas sector that supports the use of domestic biogas as a local, sustainable energy source. Hivos acts as the fund and programme manager.

With its Gold Standard certification, UBP has also become part of the African Biogas Carbon (ABC) Programme of Activities.

Apart from climate benefits, biogas provides a way for households with livestock to reduce their dependence on polluting firewood and expensive fossil fuels. Cooking on biogas is fast and smokeless, therefore improving the health of especially women and children. The slurry left over from the biogas process is an excellent organic fertilizer that can be applied to improve crop yields. In addition to East Africa, Hivos has Gold Standard certified biogas programmes in Indonesia and Cambodia. Figures published in the Gold Standard Market Report 2016 show that Hivos is the sole supplier of carbon credits from the three countries where we achieved issuance in 2016.

The registered project will run from 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2021 and can be renewed twice with 7 years (in total until 2035).

Read more about Hivos carbon credits and the Africa Biogas Partnership Programme.